


Either Way

by Evilangelbeats



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Police, Canon Related, F/M, Romantic Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-29
Updated: 2016-05-02
Packaged: 2018-05-29 22:18:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6396094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Evilangelbeats/pseuds/Evilangelbeats
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Miraculous Ladybug: but different. Our heroes are older, more mature (for the most part), and... police? Marinette and Adrien as superheroes by day, and superheroes in tights by night. Back to the beginning.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Induction

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired greatly by Tumblr user "baraschino" through her fantastic art depicting a Police AU inspired by Zootopia. This work was also beta-ed by AO3 user MarvelTrash.

Marinette looked past the few rows in front of her and marveled at the stage the mayor of Paris stood on. It was so high she could barely see the podium Mayor Bourgeois gave his speech from, and she noticed how many stairs led up to the wooden structure. She hadn’t been listening all too well when she caught his introduction of the police chief.

“-Chief Agreste, I welcome you up to induct the new recruits of Paris’ police force.” Bourgeois finished, waving his hand to the left where the Chief of Police walked with dignity to the microphone. He cleared his throat in a haughty way, and raised his head to speak. 

“Good afternoon. I will keep this short so you can go about saving Paris with the law. My name is Gabriel Agreste and from this day forward I am your boss. From this day forward you swear your lives to the city of Paris and her citizens. For this day forward you serve her and protect her in the name of the law and against those who wish to break it. I wish you the best of luck in your duties and the safest return of each of you at the end of each day.” Even though Marinette was quite far from the Chief due to senior officers positioned in the front, she could tell he meant every word he spoke. She could tell that the last wish he gave seemed to burden him more than the rest. The heroic deeds of Chief Agreste’s wife were a tragic tale engulfed in mystery and intrigue, and every aspiring cadet in training heard the story at least once- for the sake of trying to scare away some who couldn’t handle the consequences of real police work. 

Marinette would never forget the day her supervising officer had sat her group down to explain what happened the day Mrs. Agreste went missing during a trying time in one of Chief Agreste’s- who had only then been a detective- investigations. Some thought she was kidnapped by the very people he was investigating, others think she fled on her own to avoid such an instance. The theories ranged from the most innocent of runaway cases to some believing she was no longer alive, and that any efforts Chief Agreste had in her safe return were fruitless. It was an event that reminded the cadets that they weren’t the only ones possibly endangered by their work, and that kind of lesson is hard to forget. There was one more thing that Marinette would never forget about Mrs. Agreste, and that would be the day she had met her.

 

“Dad! We don’t need to bring thirty macaroons to class, that’s enough to give everyone at least two!” A young Marinette grabbed her father’s arm, strong from carrying tray after tray of pastries in and out of an oven for over a decade. He raised his arm and Marinette came up with it, clinging more so than before out of fear of falling.

“Don’t you want everyone’s parents to also have one? Wouldn’t that be a nice gesture for them if they had to take off work just as I have to go the Career Day?” Tom Dupain smiled sweetly as the macaroons in the hand not lifting this daughter. She looked  at him and nodded, regretful she had not thought of that before he suggested it. Tom packed the desserts in a pink box labelled with the logo of their family owned and operated bakery, and the two set out the door waving goodbye to the wife and mother left behind to tend to the customers.

When they arrived at Francis-Dupont Elementary the room was already filled with children and their parents. Marinette had a habit of arriving late, but she thought maybe today would be different if she was with her dad. It shocked her when her teacher didn’t yell as usual but instead spotted her and made a sigh of relief.

“Oh good, you’ve arrived now we can start.” Her teacher asked for volunteers and of course everyone knew who was going first, Chloe Bourgeois, whose father was the Mayor. Chloe was very proud of this fact and had more than once explained it to everyone in the class, expressing that this gave her more privileges than those whose parents may have been policeman, chefs, even bakers like Marinette’s father. Chloe seemed extra keen on ridiculing Marinette, who thought she was targeted because she was shorter and smaller than everyone else in kindergarten. A few more people had gone when Marinette’s teacher had called up Mrs. Agreste, whose son was a shy quiet kind in her class she had never really noticed before.

“Hello, my name is Mrs. Agreste, I am Adrien’s mother and I came here in place of his father, who is a very busy man who works as a police officer.” Marinette perked up at the words “police officer”. She wished so badly to become an officer to protect the people of Paris. She dreamed of one day saving the city like the superheros she knew the police were. Mrs. Agreste continued, “My husband works every day to uphold the law and protect citizens with it, and he worked very hard to get there. Today he is patrolling the streets of Paris in an effort to keep her safe from those would would wish her harm. I myself know that the city is in good hands of people like Adrien’s father and the other brave officers that work by his side. Do any of you want to be a police officer in the future?” Mrs. Agreste scanned the class and immediately saw a little hand shoot up after she had asked. Then she looked down at her side where Adrien had been standing, holding onto the bottom of her shirt, obviously frightened of being in front of the whole class. He looked up at her questionly, but she had already started addressing the girl whose hand was still steadfast in the air, stretching so much she might as well have been reaching for high goals. “My dear that is wonderful, you know my Adrien wants to be like his dad and protect Paris too? He thinks that the police are real heroes out there, putting their lives on the line for others.” She smiled in a way that revealed all the kindness she had to offer, and went back to the seat she and her son came from. Marinette looked at the boy, who was blushing from his cheeks to his ears and thought he was a bit peculiar.

“How strange,” she thought.

 

When Marinette’s thoughts came back to her she was standing in a line of twenty or so of cadets from around the city, many of whom she hadn’t seen in her small district. Each were called up to the tall stage, but she only listened for her name, and eventually she had to climb those high steps to accept a badge and a handshake from her future boss. She was slightly distracted but she smiled and posed for a commemorative picture, and when she spotted her parents in crowd standing around the stage and chairs, she had snapped out of her distraction. As she stepped down the stairs to the right of the stage she ran to her parents in celebration. Her father Tom had lifted her up, as effortlessly as when she was young, and congratulated her. Her mother wiped away tears from her handkerchief and swore they were from happiness. Marinette felt so proud of herself for getting this far, but she new she still had a lot of work to do.


	2. Ignition

    What Marinette had hoped for her first day of being an officer for Paris varied greatly from what actually transpired. She had envisioned a day of learning and experience combining to an eventful day patrolling, getting the hang of daily police work, and perhaps even getting assigned a case to work. To her great dismay Marinette’s first task had been desk work. Filing papers, writing reports for senior officers, and organizing case files. She was disappointed but she hardly could complain, seeing as how it was her first day and well, this work had to be done too. When she had stapled a thousand reports and encased a hundred files in neat manila folders she clocked out for the day, confident that tomorrow will be better, tomorrow she would see change, tomorrow would be different.

    Tomorrow was not as she hoped either. Mundane office work. Paper clips, staples, piles of pens, post it notes and a mountain of files needing homes in their respective gray steel shelves. Marinette was disgruntled, but she resigned herself to concentrated work. Someone had to do it. She toiled for hours, until a relief of “lunch break” was shouted throughout the precinct. Yesterday she forgot lunch like her clumsy self would have, and she didn’t get to talk with the fellow police officers and peers. She took her lunch, expertly cooked by her mother and father as they had insisted hearing she had forgotten yesterday, and walked into the break room.

Quite a few officers were eating at their desks, and even more were out on patrol or assignment, so Marinette was disappointed to find that there was only three uniformed officers. One, a senior officer who- by the look of him- refused to retire, was resting his head on the back of his chair. He was sleeping, a fact evident through a myriad of snores and a half eaten hoagie resting loosely in his hand. When she scanned the remainder of the room she saw the second officer angrily stabbing a microwave meal that was too frozen to be opened, and a young man sitting alone in front of his lunch at one of the tables. Marinette thought he looked familiar, and assumed that maybe he had been at the induction seeing as he was so young. She wondered if that was really the case, since he seemed so much more than just a passing face. When she sat down across from him he looked up in surprise.

“Hello there! My name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng,” she pointed to her uniform, following her last name as she said it. “I was just assigned here from the academy, what district did you come in from?” She smiled politely, for she really did love meeting new people. Every new person Marinette met seemed to have taught her new lessons, and she knew that bettered her. She waited anxiously for a reply from the blond, who seemed as confused as he was startled by her introduction. He blinked, slowly realizing what her question meant.

“Oh, no, I didn’t just start I graduated last year, seventh district. I- uh. My name..” He paused, looking reluctant and melancholy. He raised his shoulders, making him much taller than the petite girl across from him, “I’m Adrien Agreste. Yes, I am the chief’s son. Yes, I did get here on my own, and I’ve been doing the same desk work and filing for a year so there’s no favoritism.” Adrien’s shoulders drooped in relief, as if he had let out a strong secret. He looked up with startlingly green almond eyes and saw wide bluebell ones staring back at him. Marinette giggled, which made Adrien feel strange. He had just told her something that made others wary of him, something that made them avoid him at all costs in fear of the Chief’s wrath. Why had she smiled so beautifully like that, he wondered.

“Well I only asked for your district, but I guess I did assume you were younger, I’m sorry for that.” Marinette was wiping some tears from her eyes, since she had laughed so hard. Only she knew that she was trying to cover a blushing face.

“I’m actually probably the same age as you, I was in private school for a while so I did get ahead. If you went straight into the academy after high school that is.” Once this strange girl had smiled, Adrien felt more at ease talking with her. Somehow who his father was didn’t matter to her, and that made it melt away from his worries. It made him so calm to be in Marinette’s company. In a whole year of working at this precinct and hardly anyone has talked with him besides giving him orders or instructions. He wondered how long this would last until reality came crashing in. Until he had to go back to his desk, and Marinette hers. He wished for that not to happen. He wished for a miracle. Anything to spend more time with that smile.


	3. His Miracle

It felt like two minutes, but indeed Marinette and Adrien talked during their whole twenty minute lunch break. By the time Adrien had glanced at the clock it was time for more paper cuts to be endured. “Looks like lunch is over. It was lovely meeting you, Marinette,” her name tasted sweet in his mouth, “I hope we can talk around the precinct more.” He finished, picking up his lunch remains while she did the same. Marinette loved talking to people, and she had no trouble making new friends, but something about Adrien had her giddy. 

“Nice to meet you too, Adrien...” She paused, but he hadn’t noticed. Marinette wondered if she should ask if they have met before. He wasn’t in her cadet training group, and certainly not at the induction, but she remembers his face somehow. Those pleasant features seemed seared into her memory. His back was towards her now as they both started to exit the break room. Marinette walked head down, and mistakenly bumped into a now still Adrien, standing in the doorway. When she had looked up, she heard a senior officer talking to Adrien and she started to feel red. I can’t believe I just bumped into him, she thought, why am I such a clutz all the time.

“Captain wants you and the new recruit in his office.” The officer was short and official, which didn’t surprise Adrien. Marinette however was surprised to be called in to the Captain’s office so soon. She thought she had done her job well, however short she may have been at it. She followed Adrien, just then noticing how much taller he was than her. She knew she was a bit small, but from his slouched sitting position it was hard to tell his physique. Marinette’s mind drifted to other thoughts, like why had the Captain called wanted her, and him, and both of them together.

“Well you see, Adrien didn’t have a partner before because no one else- er because there was no one available, but now that you have so recently joined the force- uh...” Captain Damocles gestured toward Marinette, quickly reading her uniform, “Ms. Dupain-Cheng, I have decided to task you as partners for patrol duty. You will start tomorrow, you also are dismissed.” The Captain, who never rose from his seat, turned to his monitor, ignoring the fact that the two he summoned were standing in front of his desk, stunned.

Marinette was ecstatic. She had been waiting, a much shorter time than Adrien, to be able to do field work. To actually get out into the streets of Paris and make a difference. She grinned ear to ear, and turned to her new partner. She thought how well they could work together since they already seemed to click like real friends. When she saw Adrien’s face however she stopped smiling. His eyebrows were raised in surprise or confusion, perhaps even shock. Marinette concerningly asked what the problem was.

“I didn’t think it would ever happen. My dad said...” Adrien began to feel his throat tighten. He mustered the strength to hold back tears and turned to Marinette. Marinette. His partner. Marinette, his partner. Marinette, who just brought a spark of light into his life. Marinette, who can stay with him and hold that candle. Adrien swore he could see her glow. He shrugged off the thought of his forbidding father and explained how he was just excited that he could start patrols after such a long time behind a desk. Marinette wholeheartedly agreed with him, and returned to her desk.

Tomorrow is going to be different, both of them thought. No more paperwork. No more filing. Tomorrow is the first day with a partner. Tomorrow grants the freedom of open Parisian air in uniform. Adrien noticed how much he loved the idea of patrolling with Marinette. Marinette noticed how uncomfortable her uniform was. She had only worn it for a full day, but she could already begin to feel where some areas made her uncomfortable or immobile. At the end of the day, Marinette walked the short distance home and set her mind on adjusting, just a few things, she told herself. To make it easier to move around while patrolling. 

By the time Marinette had finished, her uniform looked drastically different. Oh no, she thought. She hoped perhaps that the Captain wouldn’t notice, then moved to if he will forgive not keeping it up to code because he is a police captain, how could he not notice. She could hardly sleep in her worried state, concerned she would get in trouble so soon after being partnered. Her worries drifted to her new partner. Something about him doesn’t seem new, she questioned. She then recalled in her sleepy state what he had blurted out in the beginning of their conversation. That he was the Chief’s son... which meant that he was Mrs. Agreste’s son! Marinette stand straight up in her bed, cursing herself for not realizing such an obvious fact sooner. My goodness, she thought, I went to kindergarten with him. She laughed. The idea of a shy boy like that becoming a policeman made her think anything was possible. The idea that a shy boy like that could grow up to be so handsome and- Marinette could feel the red crawling across her face. She can’t think like that! He is her partner in work only, and sure they could be friends, but nothing more. Nothing more, Marinette thought. Nothing more, Marinette regretted. Nothing more, Marinette didn’t want to believe it. She fell asleep with a twinge of sadness behind closed eyelids.


	4. The First Day

“So you changed your uniform? Are you allowed to do that? I mean- it looks fantastic but it may not be up to standard..” Adrien could not keep from staring at his partner. Marinette’s uniform had been reinvented, and it seemed to fit her energetic personality so much better. It was functional; better than any loose, clunky, or ill fitting police uniform Adrien had ever seen. Then again, he thought, it may be because of the woman wearing it. He shook himself off the thought. This was his partner now, and he had to keep their relationship professional. Professional, he thought. Professional, he regretted the word. Professional. He surprised even himself, knowing how quickly he fell for this girl in cute pigtails.

“Well, the Captain actually never noticed, so I think I can get away with it, seeing as how I do meet uniform requirements.” She walked a bit ahead of him and walked backwards, pointing to each part of her uniform that was a necessity. “Badge, check. Belt, check. Identification, check. Officer information, check. Gun...” she didn’t put her hands near the fatal weapon. She looked down at it, and smiled up, saying at last, “check.”

“Are you okay Marinette? You seem uneasy.” Adrien noticed her hesitation. 

“Oh, yea... it’s just, well I’m not fond of weapons. That probably sounds silly coming from a cop, doesn’t it? In academy I only fired when I needed to, and it was horrible feeling carrying the power to hurt people like that.” Marinette seemed to dim. Adrien thought how horrible a contrast her saddened face was to the beautiful green of the park they were patrolling. How he could simultaneously hear carousel music and how scared Marinette sounded to be carrying such a drastic device.

“No. It’s not silly.” He was frank. He knew how one bullet could mean death, and that was irreversible. Everyone has people who care about them. One bullet can hurt so many lives. Adrien looked forward to Marinette, still walking backwards in front of him. Well, falling backwards in front of him. 

“ACK!” Marinette had slipped, in more than one way. She couldn’t let herself fall for her partner, keep it professional, she told herself. It was however, the hardest thing in her life to not fall in love with the man who just sprinted forward to catch her falling backward. Marinette was utterly and hopelessly lost. No words left her mouth, so close to his face. She couldn’t muster a thank you at this point, and as Adrien lifted her ever so gently to her feet again, he chuckled a bit.

“How did you ever graduate Ms. Dupain-Cheng? You seem very unsteady.” His words seemed to betray him, the only thing unsteady was his own heartbeat. He was laughing, but somehow he could not forget how she felt in his hands. Soft, light, and warm. He yearned to be close to her again, and hoped that her clumsiness would last forever.

Marinette was embarrassed to no end, and she managed to stutter a thank you and another incoherent string of words she thought was a sentence. She stood with her hand behind her head in an apologetic manner, foot forward scratching the dirt. That’s when those two police officers had to remember that their were public servants- and the public was in danger. Marinette and her partner had only been patrolling for a little while, and it was only their first day, but that didn’t stop crime. Marinette snapped out of her lovestruck stutter when she noticed a figure in a heavy coat enter a jewelry store across the park.

“Hey, Adrien...” Marinette paused, thinking to herself. “It’s a pretty hot summer isn’t it?”

“Yea, I guess it pretty hot today but the wind is-” Adrien stopped talk when he noticed Marinette walking with purpose across the grass. His instincts knew there was something she saw, and he was stunned at how quickly she had changed in demeanor. He followed. She walked toward a popular high end jewelry store, and stood flanked across the windowless wall near the entrance.

“I saw a suspicious character with a winter coat enter-” just then a scream, followed by a mass shuffling and panic reached her ears. She glanced at Adrien and he was already using his radio to call for backup. Robbery in progress. Not for much longer, Marinette thought. She used her shoulder to push open the door and stood in the doorway. Once she spotted the man in the long coat, she let out a warning, never drawing her weapon. “Sir, I’m going to need you to put your hands on your head and back away from the counters please”

When the man turned around, Adrien and Marinette were both shocked to see just a boy, probably still in high school. Marinette saw how frightened he looked before she saw a small gun in his hand. He waved it in the air, shouting “Hey get away! Back away!” and more quietly to himself, “this wasn’t supposed to happen, this was supposed to be easy.” Marinette’s hands never once drifted closer to her gun, neatly stashed away on her belt. Adrien found concern in this and had already pointed his at the boy. He only intended to ease the hostages minds, and if he had too, he would protect them and Marinette. That was a police officer's job.

“Could you tell me your name? Could you tell me why you want to take these things?” Marinette knew how scared he was, but didn’t know why. Everyone can make bad decisions, but there is always a cause, a trigger, something to direct them towards an option that is desperate.

“Shut up! You don’t care! Nobody cares, that’s why I’m here lady.” He turned back to the counter where the cashier had a bag with the cash register money inside. He snatched it and held the bag up in triumph. “Fancy places like this make money off the even richer customers they have and nobody cares about those who can’t even put food on the table.” He lowered the bag to his side. “You’re going to let me pass and leave, or I’m going to shot this. I’m not afraid to, you’ll see!” He stepped closer to Marinette. Marinette stood firm in her position, refusing to move.

“Is that why you’re here? To put food on the table? We can help you. You don’t have to do this. You may not be scared, but take a look around you, these people are scared.” Marinette knew she could reason with him. He looked like a smart kid, and her job was to protect. That meant protecting this scared boy too. The boy looked toward Marinette, who stood as confident as her partner next to her. Adrien was entranced in her. Still, he focused as much as he could on the boy with a gun in front of the both of them.  
That boy lowered the hand holding the gun. He looked around the shop, at the faces of cowering customers and worried workers, all fearing for their lives. At that moment, through the open doors, a purple butterfly glowing with malice fluttered by Marinette and Adrien. It landed on the shoulder of robber and took over his coat. The two cops couldn’t believe their eyes as the boy before them turned into something not human. He grew through the roof of the building and his coat became a casing around him, with more pockets that stitches. His face was a distorted red, and he spoke only, “Yes, Hawkmoth” before walking past the buildings of Paris, ripping roofs off banks and shops to shove the money he found in his pockets.


	5. Other Beginnings

“What do you mean you partnered him? I was under the impression that you liked your job Captain Damocles...of course I understand... I understand that you can’t take orders.” If the phone had a receiver, Chief Agreste would have slammed it. Instead he thumbed the “end call” button angrily. The only reason he allowed his son to enter the police force- his police force- was the fact that he was able to control his safety in the highest position available. He stationed him to the desk and files for safety. He wouldn’t have to worry about anything bad happening to his precious son on duty because he would never be on duty. Not out in public. Not out in danger. It had stayed perfect for a year! A whole year and he had kept his Adrien safe. Not so much as a paper cut graced his fingers and now that moron of a Captain had sent him out on patrol.

Gabriel reached for the police radio on his desk, hearing a distress call. More concerningly- hearing his son’s voice. His heart pounded out of his chest with worry. “Call for backup, Juleka Jewels robbery in progress north side of Villé Park, Officers Agreste and Dupain-Cheng on site, copy.” Another voice replied briefly, stating that what was requested will come. An idea crossed Gabriel’s mind in that moment. If he could create a situation so odd, so bizarre, so intimidating, perhaps his son would resign himself to desk duty to avoid such an event again. Perhaps...

The Chief of Police was by all means a respectable man, one who had shown true courage on duty as a cop, and one who had a loving family when he clocked out at the end of each day. Under the circumstances of his wife’s disappearance Mr. Agreste had changed, and not for the better. He had secluded himself from his son, though he loved him dearly. He was under the impression that it kept him safer. Safe from the dangers of his work, from the people that he made angry. He used to have different work. He used to see differently the city of Paris when he held a miraculous secret. 

“Nooroo, I have a task at hand for us.” At his home, Gabriel Agreste sat in the highest place with a window. He pinned a butterfly brooch to his collar and a faint purple creature appeared from it. 

“Gabriel!” It was like a shout, but the creature’s voice was so small it was hardly a whisper. “What happened? You haven’t used the miraculous in such a long time, and the last time-”

“That’s enough Nooroo.” Gabriel abruptly became cold as he interrupted. Nooroo, as the creature was called, shrank back. This was not the Gabriel he once knew. “The task at hand is important. Transform me, Nooroo.” Gabriel’s clothing changed in a flash of purple light, becoming a strange suit with unearthly material. His face was now masked, and he could no longer hear argument from his Kwami. He knew it would disapprove, but this had to be done. Gabriel peered into the top of his staff. There were plenty of butterflies for his task. He released them into the room, their white wings fluttering about like snow refusing to fall.

“Ah yes, I can feel the negative emotions just as well as the positive. This one is particularly angry. Devastated, how tragic. Let us see what we can make of this, me and my power.” He summoned a sole butterfly in his hands and encased it with the powers he has used countless times before. It’s snowy complexion shifted to a menacing, sinister purple. “Go, my little akuma... find him, and give him the power to take as he truly desires.” Gabriel watched his creation escape through the window and travel across the buildings, homes, and shops that made Paris. Once that evil akuma had found its target, Gabriel spoke.

“Hello, Pickpocket. My name is Hawkmoth. I have given you the power to steal all you desire, to take what you believe doesn’t belong in the hands of aristocrats. I ask for nothing in return- just for you to cause mayhem in your wake. Can you do that, Pickpocket?”

 

Clad in a large hat, face covering sunglasses, and his favorite Hawaiian shirt, Master Fu had walked around Paris for the better part of the morning. His Kwami, the mysterious little creature that granted him super powers with just a couple of words, had told him that he sensed a foreboding tragedy. “It believe it’s time now, Master, to reintroduce the Ladybug and Cat Miraculous to the world. They may be needed sooner than we think... there is an awful feeling in the air.” Wayzz, as Master Fu called the green Kwami, shuddered at the thought of evil coming into the world.

“I just can’t believe you would have me retire, I still have fighting spirit.” Fu sat down to rest on a wooden park bench. He enjoyed listening to the carousel music. He glanced across the park when a tripping policewoman caught his eye. He chuckled, but as he blinked the policeman walking with her had caught her, holding her back and head inches above ground. He helped her to her feet and from across the park even Fu could she she was flustered. “Those are some quick instincts, Wayzz... how about we follow them?” Fu stood, intrigued. 

When the two of them started to walk meaningfully to a shop, Fu had questioned them greatly. He considered the man for the Cat- his instincts and speed already seemed more than an average person's. What he hadn’t expected was the woman being a perfect candidate for the Ladybug. He was told that the next Ladybug must be kind, compassionate, and observant. That they must be inherently good. He gazed into the shop windows and saw just those qualities in the woman who had gently, softly even, talked to a criminal holding a gun. She extended her hands, as if she was reaching out toward the boy in an effort to calm him.

An unmistakable butterfly flew by Fu and his green companion, and a realization of horror spread across their faces. “The butterfly miraculous? Active again? I thought he had given up, stored it away, poor Nooroo!” He watched begrudgingly as the darkened insect flew into the robber’s stitched coat, enlarging it along with the wearer and creating dozens of huge pockets covering the outside of it. When this threat had broken the roof of the building and Master Fu heard him say the name Hawkmoth, he knew his choice was fate. Quickly he addressed his Kwami, “Take these, Wayzz.” He held lavishly decorated wooden boxes in his hands. “You must deliver these safely to them, in a way you won’t be seen. Those two you see?” He pressed his aged finger against the store window, pointing to the two police officers occupied in staring at the hole through the ceiling. They were perplexed in every sense of the word.


	6. The Tights

The sounds of police sirens could be heard crawling closer to the two who had requested it only minutes ago. Had it really only been minutes? Adrien and Marinette had come upon a robbery, what seemed to be a normal crime for police to respond to. Marinette did more than negotiate, she tried to make a connection and ease the robber’s mind. Adrien was fascinated by the skill, and considering he was speechless in the moment, he admired her immediate readiness. Her composure and kindness reminded him of royalty.

Marinette was disappointed in herself. She had prepared and trained and knew everything there was to know about procedure and tactics involved in police work. She knew every path to follow, every situation that could arise in the moment. There was no way, she tried to tell herself, that she could prepare for whatever it was that just happened. She stood in the rubble of broken roof and gaped at the hole before her and her partner. Adrien looked as stunned as she was.

“What in the... HEY! Newbies!” The officers that just arrived on scene stepped over concrete in an effort to join Marinette and Adrien. “What happened here? Dispatch said it was a robbery but it looks like a bomb went off! You sure have crap luck huh? Heard it’s your first day patrollin’ too. And then this happens? I’m thinking ’bout avoiding you guise, I only have three years until retirement, ya know?” He kept talking, about the rubble, the hole, asking questions that couldn’t receive answers in the nonexistent space he left between sentences.

“Well,” Marinette interrupted, “I believe if you look down that road...” She maneuvered over the floor-ceiling and pointed in the direction the “robber” had gone. Adrien and the two officers followed while she spoke, and after the newly arrived eyes landed on the tall villain, they widened in disbelief. Almost immediately the talkative cop sent waves of panicked, incoherent sentences across the radio. The other, who had not yet spoke to anyone, put his hand on the radio resting on his partners shoulder. He did not take his eyes off the villain, still rummaging through buildings and stuffing his pockets in monetary rewards.

“I can’t believe they sent us away! Let “us” handle this!? Do they think we are children?” Marinette huffed as she practically fell into her desk chair. She knocked over her bag, and looked at it in anger. “Will they send us back to piles-o-files land? When we could be helping them catch that... thing?” Adrien stood above her, in as much anger and more frustration. He just got a taste of freedom, of actual police work, of partnership. Who would've thought that something supernatural would get in the way of that. 

That’s when Adrien noticed his belongings on the desk across from Marinette’s. When he looked closer, his nameplate was resting on the opposite side of his partner’s, and he was pleasantly surprised. His desk has always been set aside, not connected to anyone else’s. He sat down and adjusted a photo, smiling as if a person hadn’t just transformed into a superpowered villain in front of him and was still terrorizing Paris, albeit chased by more than half the city’s officers in blue.

“Why in the world are you smiling like that... and why... wait is that your desk now? They moved you? It must be because we are partners now, yea that makes sense, how nice of them.” Marinette was easily distracted.

“I put in a request for a move yesterday after the Captain put us together- er I mean partnered, but I didn’t expect it to go through so soon,” He swiveled in his chair, picked up his briefcase, and placed it on the desk. When he reached inside his fingers came upon a strange object. He knew all that was supposed to be there was paper. Peering in he spotted an ornate wooden box that certainly wasn’t his. His curiosity outweighed his concern. Adrien looked nervously up across his desk and to Marinette, who had picked up her her bag. “Hey, I’ll be right back I uh... have to go... to the bathroom, yea.” He almost slapped himself at how unsure he had sounded.

Marinette was a little happy that Adrien had left, for a couple of reasons. This first was she could have a moment to compose herself. She wasn’t expecting their desks to be close, and certainly not across from each other. How was she supposed to work with Adrien directly across from her? She was flustered, and she immediately thought of the park. Not the giant burglar who seemed to have supernatural powers from an unknown source, but to the instantaneously heartbeat raising moment that was her fall. She touched her hand to her chest, feeling an ever increasing rate. She should really be more observant of her surroundings, particularly her footing to avoid another close counter disaster. Thinking of her observance, Marinette remembered the second reason she had been relieved. When she picked up her bag she noticed it was heavier than normal, and she could notice a shape in the front pocket that wasn’t there before.

Slipping through the door, Adrien pulled the box out of his briefcase. He had an eerie feeling that told him to be secretive, and he flinched as he lifted the top of the box. There were two things he had noticed first, the first being the fact that a black creature with arms, legs, ears, whiskers, and a recognizable face had emerged from the box like a genie from its lamp. The second was that he could talk and float or fly. Adrien was unsure of which he found most surprising, but from the events of today it wasn’t the strangest thing that has happened. He asked blatantly, “Who are you?” Without thinking of asking what it was first.

“No, Marinette, it’s ok! I won’t harm you, I was chosen for you.” The black spotted red creature that slipped out of the box Marinette opened insisted that she was a Kwami, delivered for a specific purpose- creating a superhero. It was the first time in Marinette’s life she was thankful of an empty police station. Everyone else was occupied with apprehending the crook who called himself “Pickpocket”. Marinette had taken the liberty in grabbing the nearest folder and raising in an effort to show she wasn’t afraid to use the makeshift weapon. “My name is Tikki, and you are Ladybug. Wearing the earrings in this box gives you powers, to fight the evil that has arisen in this world. It sounds strange, but you haven’t squished me yet and that tells me you are interested.”

“...So yea, put on the ring and your powers of destruction will come if you say “claws out” it’s pretty simple really, but I do need something good to eat... do you have anything edible on you?” The Kwami who called himself Plagg zipped toward Adrien, who quickly stumbled back in a failed effort to avoid him chomping down on the badge pinned to his chest. “Bleck! This is shiny but it doesn’t taste any good!” Flying across the bathroom Plagg unsightly tried a variety of objects, harshly regretting most of them. He paused at the mirror, admiring himself. “Look at me, haven’t changed in centuries how wonderful.” Adrien was curious from the beginning but after hearing the short explanation from this questionable source he was even more so. Without hesitation he knew that this would put a stop to the Pickpocket. Plagg talked about an evil presence, how could that not be it. In the next instance, Plagg was being drawn into the ring on Adrien’s finger.

In a brilliant flash of green lightning a black mask covered Adrien’s eyes. Blinking, he saw the room slightly different. More detailed. As the lightning moved across his face he felt an unfamiliar feeling in his hair. When he looked down he saw what looked like black leather but felt like nothing else in the world covering him from head to toe. He gazed, dazzled by the ears riveted onto his head that twitched when he willed them. That is when he spotted the a tail leaving his lower back from his belt, which held a silver baton like object. That must be my weapon, Plagg said it was a staff. This was all very different to Adrien, but he welcomed the change. 

An entire year without proper police work can ruffle anyone’s feathers, and it did just that to Adrien. He was itching to get out there, but somehow the patrol with Marinette had not been satisfying. He craved to do things his own way, differently. More bold. Without the need for rules or procedure. Liberated. That however, was when he realized how trapped he was. Marinette was still outside, sitting at her desk... in the middle of a police station. Even if the station is empty, I can’t just stroll out of an area like that and just walk away right? Adrien paused. He leaned against the bathroom door, pressing his newly acquired ears onto it. He listened... and when a few moments had gone by where he heard nothing, a breath, a rustle, or anything to indicate the presence of people, he creaked open the door. When he stepped out into the empty precinct he stood tall and marveled at his genius. Now it’s time to do my job. Find the Pickpocket, find Ladybug, defeat the Pickpocket with Ladybug. I wonder what this other superhero will be like.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha... look at me with no sense of time... eek so many chapter gone by and yet no plot hah I'm horrible...


	7. The First & Second Encounter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am super duper sorry for this late upload, and I honestly haven't written in a while, so this is actually the last chapter I have fully written. (AH I tried so hard to write ahead and be good) So I may be a little late uploading next week, but after that my semester I done and I HAVE ALL SUMMER TO WRITE. (That was only slight maniacal laughter) ANY WAY here is chapter 7 wooo

“Tikki if you can hear me, this is insane! There is no way I’m doing that again...” Marinette looked down off the roof she had just landed on. She was covered in a practical suit of flashy red and black, giving her the appearance of a ladybug. A yo-yo held in her hand gave her the ability to fly through Paris going from roof to roof by a mere string. She assumed correctly that each were magic of some sort, because she saw herself change from her officers uniform in seconds, though she doubt anyone else did due to the sheer brightness of the light she gave off. As soon as she realized where she was, she needed to leave immediately. What if Adrien had come out of the bathroom to see me standing there, dressed up like a superhero, mask and all?

When there was no small voice to respond to her statement, Marinette was disappointed, but more scared. Once Tikki explained everything, she realized that she had seen the evil, and it was still out there. After a couple minutes of pleading for Tikki to choose someone else, someone more capable, without the duties of a police officer to get in the way, Tikki insisted that she was the only one. Reluctantly, Marinette had said those words of transformation, “Spots on.” Her yo-yo came in handy to escape the precinct without Adrien seeing her. She wasn’t expecting to fly forward with such speed or force. There was no way she would be getting used to this. Used to? Marinette thought, I won’t have to do this again, once I defeat that villain like Tikki told me, I can go back to normalcy. She looked across the Parisian skyline, looking for the rampaging thief that evaded her capture once before.

“How cool, this extends!” Adrien was adjusting well to his weaponry, and he quickly figured out how to work the staff. He needed to get to the villain that Plagg was going on about, and help his counterpart. Plagg said that Ladybug only had the power to neutralize the akuma... that was the evil, Adrien guessed. He used the stick in a way that mimicked stilts, landing on roofs several streets away each time. When he got to a particularly tall building he used the vantage point to look for the Pickpocket. Seeing a brown coat rising above a building a few rows down, he set off. The next thing happened in a split second, but somehow a wire being flung across the skyline was tangled with his staff. He saw a circular red object with black dots before another black dotted red thing crashed into him, plunging him toward a thankfully soft rooftop. He had heard terrified screams before he saw the woman’s face, and instinctively he twisted himself to the ground, holding her.

Marinette obviously didn’t see the black clad man sweeping across the skyline on a gigantic silver pole. She did see however, when that same man was back against rooftop grasping her. His eyes were closed in pain, and Marinette heard groans as she rushed to roll off him. “Oh my goodness... I am so sorry, I didn’t see you there! But I mean who would really expect to see someone like...” She paused, looking at the man get to his feet. When his face was in view, Marinette couldn’t help but to stare. He looked familiar, but she pushed the thought away when she realized she couldn’t possibly know him. He looked at her for longer than she could bear to look at him. When she had turned toward the ever shrinking villain in the distance, the man, who in all aspects looked feline, spoke for the first time.

“You must be the partner I vaguely heard about... My Lady.” He took a bow, curling his arm to his chest and extending the other towards Marinette. He knew her. He fell in love with her before now, but this was the second time. “Have we met before somewhere? You are paws-atively beautiful and I would remember such a thing.” He snickered to himself, not even slightly ashamed of the pun. As soon as he saw the ear and tail combo in the mirror he couldn’t resist. I have a feeling this will become a habit, Adrien thought, But I would never be this bold without the mask. If I recognized her, couldn’t she easily see me for me though? Adrien stiffened, suddenly conscious of his flirting and very afraid of the answer the question he thought was simple.

“No I don’t think so, Kitty. We only bumped into each here, I would remember if I met a black cat before.” Marinette acted easier around this person who seemed to speak so freely. She didn’t have to worry about being so polite after all.

“Hmm... well if we are going to be playing superheroes, we need names don’t we? I like your suggestion... Black Cat...no how’s Chat Noir? It sounds better, slick, much like myself.” He felt as equally relieved and disappointed that Marinette could not recognize him. “I’m feel-line like you could be a Ladybug, you have the pattern for it.” He looked her up and down, seeing such a different type of uniform than the one she debuted earlier in the day. Was that really only this morning?

“Well, I don’t think names will be necessary, this is a one time thing, Chat Noir. We can let the proper authorities take care of regular bad guys, this just seems like a special case.” She was apprehensive to even be doing this. She reviewed quickly what Tikki had told her about capturing the akuma.

“We will see, Bug-aboo, but first let’s catch us an oversized cat burglar.” Adrien- now Chat Noir, could see Marinette, now Ladybug, roll her eyes. I could get used to this atmosphere. Chat extended his staff, leaving the roof for another and shouting for Ladybug to catch up. She let out a pouty huff before flinging her yo-yo to the nearest telephone tower. She and her new found partner got closer and closer to their goal, until they were practically on top of the robber they encounter once already. They could see the myriad of police and military vehicles, surrounding but not stopping the menace. “Looks like the proper authorities are having trouble, m’Lady.”

**Author's Note:**

> Just a reminder that I won't be uploading this weekend. Hopefully next weekend I will have two chapters to make up for my lacking today.


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